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New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
One New York pizzeria offers a slice of home for Napoli's Serie A title celebration
As Napoli sealed a second Serie A title in three seasons in nail-biting fashion last week, roughly 4,400 miles to the west, one of the loudest celebrations came from an unexpected spot: outside a bustling restaurant in the heart of New York City, where the Partenopei's triumph was toasted as if the scudetto had been won in Times Square. Advertisement And at the center of that celebration, orchestrating the chaos with the passion of a true Neapolitan, was one man: Rosario Procino. 'In Italy, Neapolitans are always seen as the ones born to suffer. It feels like everything, politics, history, economy, is stacked against Napoli,' Procino, owner of the restaurant Ribalta, told The Athletic. 'We suffer so much that when we finally achieve something, the joy is explosive, more intense than anyone else could imagine. This scudetto was the most Neapolitan scudetto ever, because it was a very suffered scudetto.' On the pitch, Napoli was suffering through the championship point by point with Inter. Procino and his partner were also suffering, as they were forced to close Ribalta a week before the finale due to a chimney fire. The forced shutdown was a heavy blow—not just for the staff and loyal patrons who rely on it, but for the broader soccer-loving community. Long hailed as the best Neapolitan pizza spot in the city (a view this writer wholeheartedly shares) and the undisputed home of Italian soccer in New York, Ribalta, for the first time in 12 years, couldn't play host for the biggest game of the season. But Procino, an unofficial ambassador of Italian soccer in the U.S., wasn't about to let down his friends or the thousands of Napoli fans traveling from across the country to be part of something special. 'They were coming here because they couldn't be in Naples,' he said. 'This is the closest thing they have to home.' While working tirelessly to reopen his restaurant, Procino found a nearby bar that could accommodate around 200 fans for the match. He also set up a TV outside Ribalta so others could watch from the street. When the final whistle blew, the two groups merged, joining hundreds more who had gathered at Ribalta, to march together to Washington Square Park cheering loudly for Napoli. Back in Naples, Procino's fan group has earned the nickname Curva C — a nod to Napoli's two ultra factions, Curva A and Curva B, famously occupying stands inside Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. Now, thanks to Procino, New York has its own passionate sect. This wasn't the first time Procino has created an unforgettable atmosphere for Italian soccer's biggest moments. Advertisement Before Ribalta opened in 2013, there wasn't a true home for Italian soccer fans in New York. Most ended up watching games in British or Irish pubs, surrounded by scattered screens and no real sense of belonging. When Procino and his partner, Pasquale – both Napoli natives and lifelong fans – took over Ribalta, they saw an opportunity. A large blank wall that once played black-and-white films became the centerpiece for their vision: a dedicated space to broadcast Italian soccer. They installed a projector, and Procino reached out to every Italian fan club in the city, inviting them to make Ribalta their home. The timing of Serie A matches, mostly at noon or 2:45 p.m. on a Sunday, meant there was no overlap, allowing each club its moment. Napoli fans, Roma supporters, followers of Inter Milan, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Bologna—they all found a place at Ribalta, turning it into a true gathering ground for Italian football culture in New York. 'For that first year, it was incredible! Everyone came out,' Procino recalled. 'I remember one Napoli vs. Roma match in particular: 200 Napoli fans, 200 Roma fans packed the restaurant's 3,000-square-foot dining area. 'The atmosphere was absolutely wild. But of course, as they say in America, 'Monkey see, monkey do.' Soon enough, other Italian restaurants started copying the idea.' While fans of other clubs began searching for Italian restaurants they could claim as their own home turf, Ribalta became the house of Napoli and also the Italian national team. 'When Italy plays, all the Italians come to us, because nobody has the big screen, nobody has the vibe that we recreated over and over again,' Procino said. One of the defining moments for Ribalta came during the Euro 2021 final, when Italy lifted the trophy. Procino secured a permit to close off 13th street between Broadway and 5th Avenue. The game kicked off at 3 p.m., but by 10:30 a.m., an estimated 4,000-5,000 fans flooded the block in a sea of blue flags and torches, dressed in Napoli's blue kit. Since then, every two years, Ribalta has transformed into the epicenter of Italian and Neapolitan football fandom. Advertisement 'It's probably for the best that these big victories only happen every two years,' Procino said with a grin. 'After all, this is still a restaurant, we can't just focus on soccer all the time.' But it is all about soccer for Serie A. With nine teams owned by Americans, the league is searching for ways to grow its audience in the U.S. to catch up to their English and Spanish frenemies. To expand its presence and develop new business opportunities, the league opened an office in the city in 2022 with a banger inaugural event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. All the Serie A clubs were there, as well as Italian soccer legends and Serie A ambassadors Alessandro del Piero, Andrea Pirlo and Christian Vieri. 'It's a project that started more than two years ago: we strongly believe in it and it's finally happening, 20 years later than it should have,' Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo told reporters. Since then the league's office has organized many events and watch parties to promote the league and strengthen relationships. Procino and his pizzas were a fixture in each event. 'We have a very tight relationship with Serie A. We became their shadow Serie A office in a way,' he said. Shadow or not, Procino wears his pride on his sleeve. He is proud of his team, his culture, and his country. Napoli, which has always been treated like the underdog, beaten down socially, economically, and politically, has a long, painful history, including the so-called 'unification' of Italy, which for many in the South felt more like an invasion than a union. Because of that, Naples has carried a heavy burden of stereotypes. People often speak poorly of the city without ever having set foot there. 'There is a saying: when it comes to Naples, you cry twice. You cry upon arrival because you're desperate, you don't know where you are, and then you cry again when you leave, because you don't want to leave,' Procino explained. Advertisement When he talks about Napoli, there's a spark in his eyes. The same light that shone when, as a 17-year-old, he stood in Curva B watching Maradona deliver Napoli's second scudetto. With the other two scudetti, he was able to recreate the experience of walking in the streets of his hometown after Maradona lifted the trophy on April 29, 1989. 'For an immigrant in general, it's very difficult to be away from your family, from your land, from your from all what is your life,' he said. 'For Neapolitans, even more, they compare us to the Brazilians with their saudade. So being able to rebuild even a small piece of Naples here in New York, a place that feels like home for all Neapolitans, gave me a real sense of purpose.' Echoing the spirit of the classic anthem 'O Surdato 'Nnammurato, sung by Napoli fans after every victory, it seems like Italian soccer will always be celebrated at Ribalta – as long as Procino has a say – no matter the distance from home or circumstances.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Conte masterminds ‘most unexpected' scudetto with single-minded Napoli
Antonio Conte had asked a city not to get ahead of itself, not to celebrate this Serie A title before its team earned it. 'I don't want to see flags here and there with numbers on,' he said after the draw with Parma in the penultimate round. Everybody knew what he meant: Napoli were in touching distance of their fourth scudetto but, for a superstitious manager, now was not the moment to say it out loud. Related: Napoli secure Serie A title after Scott McTominay's stunner sees off Cagliari Advertisement Supporters held off for as long as they could. Not until the final moments of Napoli's 2-0 win over Cagliari on Friday did the giant white sheet come cascading down the stands of the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona with an enormous black '4' in the middle. Green and red flares were set off either side to create the colours of the Italian flag. The same that appear on a scudetto badge. Conte was watching from a private box, banned from the touchline after a red card against Parma. Even he was starting to surrender to this moment. Thousands more fans were already gathering outside the sold-out stadium, setting off the first pyrotechnics on another night of Neapolitan fireworks that could put Mount Vesuvius to shame. It was not supposed to happen this quickly. Napoli waited 33 years between their second and third Serie A titles, and even that felt impossibly soon to supporters who had imagined it might never happen again without Maradona wearing the shirt. The manager who ended that drought, Luciano Spalletti, collected his winner's medal and immediately rode off into the sunset in his newly repainted Fiat Panda. Few expected Napoli to be contenders this season. Yes, that title win under Spalletti was only two years ago and, yes, Conte was a serial champion who had claimed league titles before with Juventus, Chelsea and Inter. But as he reminded us often, Napoli finished 10th last season. Advertisement Their top scorer of the last two years, Victor Osimhen, was packed off to Galatasaray in an unhappy loan deal compromise to save on his wage bill. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the other standout performer from Spalletti's scudetto-winning team, was sold to Paris Saint-Germain in January without a replacement. David Neres, his alternative on the left of attack, promptly got injured. And yet Napoli, even after beginning their season with a 3-0 defeat to Verona, have occupied first place for more than half of this campaign. Rarely spectacular, and occasionally downright unconvincing, they made virtues of consistency and single-mindedness. Unlike their title rivals, they began without European distractions. They exited the Coppa Italia in the last 16 after fielding a weakened team against Lazio. Where Inter stumbled in key head-to-heads – they dropped five points to each of Juventus, Milan and Bologna – Napoli largely avoided such demoralising setbacks. There were some brief wobbles, in February and again over the last fortnight, when draws against Genoa and Parma gave Inter a chance to steal ahead. But the Nerazzurri twice let a lead slip against Lazio to blow what turned out to be their last chance. There were brief moments of tension on Friday night. Napoli began with a one-point lead over Inter, who kicked off at the same time at Como and took the lead through Stefan de Vrij after 21 minutes. Briefly, they moved ahead in the real-time table. Advertisement Napoli were making things look hard in front of goal, a common theme of this season. All except for Scott McTominay, that is. The man whose man nicknames in Naples include Apribottiglie – Bottle Opener – popped the cork on the night's celebrations with a sensational scissor-kick just before half-time. There could be no more fitting way to get the party started. This was McTominay's 12th goal of the Serie A season, and the eighth time he has broken a deadlock at 0-0. Little wonder that he should receive the league's Most Valuable Player award at full time. What an inspired piece of business his signing looks with hindsight. Napoli paid just over €30m to sign McTominay from Manchester United right at the end of last summer's transfer window. His goals have been essential but so has his versatility, lining up at different times as a box-to-box midfielder, No 10 or wide on the left. Still, Napoli are not a one-man show. It was Romelu Lukaku who made it 2-0 soon after the break, holding off Michel Adopo and dribbling past Yerry Mina as he ran half the pitch to drill a finish past the goalkeeper Alen Sherri. The Belgian's 14th goal of the campaign, to go with a league-leading 10 assists. Advertisement He is a different player now to the one who fired Conte's Inter to the title four years ago. Yet the bond between them is the same. When the manager finally was allowed on to the pitch at full time, he made a bee-line straight for Lukaku, sharing a long and heartfelt embrace. The club's president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, stood awkwardly to the side, awaiting his turn. It is no secret that there has been tension between him and Conte, the manager frustrated – and you've heard this one before – with a perceived lack of investment in the squad, especially after Kvaratskhelia's departure. Neither would commit in post-game interviews to the manager being back again next year. Who cared about that anyway? This was a night to celebrate, not to worry about what comes next. Napoli fans are living through the most successful domestic chapter in their club's history. Not even Maradona won two scudetti here in three years. This story is more remarkable for the upheaval in the middle of it – the fact neither Spalletti nor his two best players stayed around for this second triumph. Napoli went through three managers last season before landing Conte in the summer. De Laurentiis is clearly doing a lot right, but he doesn't half find unconventional ways to do it. Advertisement Conte, the first manager to win Serie A with three different clubs, called this: 'The most unexpected, difficult and stimulating scudetto of my career.' Imagine how it must feel to the players who have stayed through this whole journey, footballers who perhaps do not get enough credit in among the praise rightfully being heaped on the likes of Lukaku and McTominay. Frank Anguissa was magnificent again this season, owning the middle of the pitch and driving his team forward in possession. Amir Rrahmani stepped up brilliantly at centre-back after summer signing Alessandro Buongiorno was injured. Giovanni Di Lorenzo, the club captain, was back to his best after a disappointing last season. They all went under the Curva together at the end. Conte held up a piece of card in the shape of a scudetto badge. On it was a slogan made around a number that no longer felt scary to say: 'Ag4in'.
The Guardian
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Conte masterminds ‘most unexpected' scudetto with single-minded Napoli
Antonio Conte had asked a city not to get ahead of itself, not to celebrate this Serie A title before their team earned it. 'I don't want to see flags here and there with numbers on,' he said afterthe draw with Parma in the penultimate round. Everybody knew what he meant: Napoli were in touching distance of their fourth scudetto but, for a superstitious manager, now was not the moment to say it out loud. Supporters held off for as long as they could. Not until the final moments of Napoli's 2-0 win over Cagliari on Friday did the giant white sheet come cascading down the stands of the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona with an enormous black '4' in the middle. Green and red flares were set off either side to create the colours of the Italian flag. The same that appear on a scudetto badge. Conte was watching from a private box, banned from the touchline after a red card against Parma. Even he was starting to surrender to this moment. Thousands more fans were already gathering outside the sold-out stadium, setting off the first pyrotechnics on another night of Neapolitan fireworks that could put Mount Vesuvius to shame. It was not supposed to happen this quickly. Napoli waited 33 years between their second and third Serie A titles, and even that felt impossibly soon to supporters who had imagined it might never happen again without Maradona wearing the shirt. The manager who ended that drought, Luciano Spalletti, collected his winner's medal and immediately rode off into the sunset in his newly repainted Fiat Panda. Few expected Napoli to be contenders this season. Yes, that title win under Spalletti was only two years ago and, yes, Conte was a serial champion who had claimed league titles before with Juventus, Chelsea and Inter. But as he reminded us often, Napoli finished 10th last season. Their top scorer of the last two years, Victor Osimhen, was packed off to Galatasaray in an unhappy loan deal compromise to save on his wage bill. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the other stand-out performer from Spalletti's scudetto-winning team, was sold to Paris Saint-Germain in January without a replacement. David Neres, his alternative on the left of attack, promptly got injured. And yet Napoli, even after beginning their season with a 3-0 defeat to Verona, have occupied first place for more than half of this campaign. Rarely spectacular, and occasionally downright unconvincing, they made virtues of consistency and single-mindedness. Unlike their title rivals, they began without European distractions. They exited the Coppa Italia in the last 16 after fielding a weakened team against Lazio. Where Inter stumbled in key head-to-heads – they dropped five points to each of Juventus, Milan and Bologna – Napoli largely avoided such demoralising setbacks. There were some brief wobbles, in February and again over the last fortnight, when draws against Genoa and Parma gave Inter a chance to steal ahead. But the Nerazzurri twice let a lead slip against Lazio to blow what turned out to be their last chance. There were brief moments of tension on Friday night. Napoli began with a one-point lead over Inter, who kicked off at the same time at Como and took the lead through Stefan de Vrij after 21 minutes. Briefly, they moved ahead in the real-time table. Napoli were making things look hard in front of goal, a common theme of this season. All except for Scott McTominay, that is. The man whose man nicknames in Naples include Apribottiglie – Bottle Opener – popped the cork on the night's celebrations with a sensational scissor-kick just before half-time. There could be no more fitting way to get the party started. This was McTominay's 12th goal of the Serie A season, and the eighth time he has broken a deadlock at 0-0. Little wonder that he should receive the league's Most Valuable Player award at full time. What an inspired piece of business his signing looks with hindsight. Napoli paid just over €30m to sign McTominay from Manchester United right at the end of last summer's transfer window. His goals have been essential but so has his versatility, lining up at different times as a box-to-box midfielder, No 10 or wide on the left. Still, Napoli are not a one-man show. It was Romelu Lukaku who made it 2-0 soon after the break, holding off Michel Adopo and dribbling past Yerry Mina as he ran half the pitch to drill a finish past the goalkeeper Alen Sherri. The Belgian's 14th goal of the campaign, to go with a league-leading 10 assists. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion He is a different player now to the one who fired Conte's Inter to the title four years ago. Yet the bond between them is the same. When the manager finally was allowed on to the pitch at full time, he made a bee-line straight for Lukaku, sharing a long and heartfelt embrace. The club's president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, stood awkwardly to the side, awaiting his turn. It is no secret that there has been tension between him and Conte, the manager frustrated – and you've heard this one before – with a perceived lack of investment in the squad, especially after Kvaratskhelia's departure. Neither would commit in post-game interviews to the manager being back again next year. Who cared about that anyway? This was a night to celebrate, not to worry about what comes next. Napoli fans are living through the most successful domestic chapter in their club's history. Not even Maradona won two scudetti here in three years. This story is more remarkable for the upheaval in the middle of it – the fact neither Spalletti nor his two best players stayed around for this second triumph. Napoli went through three managers last season before landing Conte in the summer. De Laurentiis is clearly doing a lot right, but he doesn't half find unconventional ways to do it. Conte, the first manager to win Serie A with three different clubs, called this: 'The most unexpected, difficult and stimulating scudetto of my career.' Imagine how it must feel to the players who have stayed through this whole journey, footballers who perhaps do not get enough credit in among the praise rightfully being heaped on the likes of Lukaku and McTominay. Frank Anguissa was magnificent again this season, owning the middle of the pitch and driving his team forward in possession. Amir Rrahmani stepped up brilliantly at centre-back after summer signing Alessandro Buongiorno was injured. Giovanni Di Lorenzo, the club captain, was back to his best after a disappointing last season. They all went under the Curva together at the end. Conte held up a piece of card in the shape of a scudetto badge. On it was a slogan made around a number that no longer felt scary to say: 'Ag4in'.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
🎥 Naples erupts: Neapolitans celebrate fourth Scudetto 🌋
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. The postcard of Naples with Vesuvius in the background is a beauty, but when the city itself, its people, becomes a walking volcano, the show becomes wonderful. We were able to experience all that and more last night with the tremendous party celebrating Napoli's fourth scudetto. As two years ago, a boat that is already part of Neapolitan folklore set sail again. Torna la nave Scudetto, come nel successo di due anni fa: Napoli sa sempre come stupire 😍💙#SSCNapoli #TifosiNapoli #SpazioNapoli — Spazio Napoli (@Spazio_Napoli) May 23, 2025 Reminder for the scudetto victims, special mention for Inter rivals. Sobrietà #Napoli — SandroSca (@SandroSca) May 23, 2025 From the final whistle of the match that secured the championship, the Neapolitans flooded the squares and avenues. The horns of the motorcycles resonated on every corner, while the fireworks illuminated the night sky, painting it with the blue and white colors of the team. Le scene dei festeggiamenti per la vittoria del campionato del Napoli, stanno facendo il giro del mondo, per la gioia dei milioni di tifosi emigrati. #NapoliCagliari#Napoli #Scudetto #CampioneDItalia #SerieA — Marco Ferraglioni (@MFerraglioni) May 23, 2025 Piazza del Plebiscito, the emblematic heart of Naples, was the epicenter of the celebration. Festa a piazza Plebiscito per il gol di #ScottMcTominay#napoli #sscnapoli — Il Mattino (@mattinodinapoli) May 23, 2025 The celebration was a tribute not only to the team's effort, but also to the city's football legacy. Images of Diego Maradona, Naples' eternal idol, were displayed on banners and shirts, remembering that his spirit is still present in every victory of the club. This fourth Serie A title will be etched in the collective memory of Naples forever. And the party continues! 📸 Jamie Squire - 2025 Getty Images
